Grass

Grass tetany is a disorder caused by an abnormally low amount of magnesium in the animal's blood. Beef cattle producers in Kentucky have generally been successful in reducing the incidence of tetany. However, the potential still exists for this disorder to be a problem. Grass tetany occurs most often in cows grazing lush spring forages, especially small grains and cool-season perennials, such as fescue. It is most common in spring calving cows, especially if they are high producers in their third to fifth lactation.

Farmers need to be in gear now to get their pasture and hay fields improved. Adding clover to our grass fields has a lot of economic benefits. I have producers tell me it is too expensive to sow clover. Well these folks forget to look past the purchase price. You need to look at the bottom line which is net returns for the dollars and labor you spend. Clover in your pasture increases the productivity to where cattle gain better, more pasture is available to take hay from and more cattle can be run per acre.

(Sun photo by James Mann)The "Keep Off Grass" sign at the rear of the Clark County Courthouse didn't pertain to custodian Denny Arvin, who was mowing the lawn for the first time this year. Signs of spring, which arrives next Wednesday, including warmer temperatures and growing flowers and grass, are evident throughout the city and county.

Droplets of rain cling to grass in the early morning hours after a thunderstorm the night before. The photo was taken in a pasture off the New Boonesboro Road.

As the days of summer wind down, you might be thinking about a long rest from lawn care. But don't take that vacation just yet, or if you do, make it a short one, because fall is a good time to take care of weeds, remove leaves and fertilize grass. Fall is the best time of the year to control such broadleaf weeds as dandelion, plantain, chickweed, henbit and clover. These weeds are actively growing in the fall, making them easier to control. And since grass also is actively growing during this time, it will fill in spaces the weeds formerly occupied.

The Kentucky State Committee has established closing dates for the following eligible 2009 NAP crops. Sept. 1: Christmas trees, crustaceans, finfish, flowers, grass-sod, nursery Sept. 30: Barley for grain, rye and wheat Nov. 20: Apples, blueberries, caneberries, grapes, honey, peaches, pears, pecans and rhubarb March 1, 2009: Alfalfa, clover, crass for forage, grass for grazing, grass-SD March 15, 2009: Beans, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cantaloupe, cauliflower, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, gourds, herbs, lettuce, oats, onions, peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, radish, sorghum, soybean for forage, soybeans for grain, squash, strawberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips and watermelons For more information, call the local Farm Service Agency at (859)

It's difficult to envision mowing your lawn this spring when frost or snow greets you nearly every morning. Yet, that first spring mowing, usually in late March, begins your most important annual lawn duties. The first mowing makes the lawn look spring-like and very attractive. Subsequent regular mowing hardens the grass for drought and heat stresses later on. So when the first clump of grass grows above the mowing height, mow, even if a lot of the yard doesn't need to be mowed yet. Not all grasses start growing at the same time.

Renovating pastures and hayfields to renew forage productivity is one of the most important things we can do to improve the profitability of livestock production. Pasture and hay renovation is a win-win situation because it decreases production costs and increases animal performance. Farmers benefit from increases in yield, quality and summer production by establishing legumes in grass pastures and hayfields. Adding legumes increases the total forage yield per acre. Research studies show that using red clover to renovate a fescue pasture produced higher yields than using 500 pounds of ammonia nitrate per acre.

Dear Editor, I would like to inform the public of a hazard to motorcyclists they may not even realize they are causing while mowing their lawns. If you've ever noticed when people mow their lawns, they almost always mow so that the grass shoots out onto the roadway. You may think the grass will just blow away or be blown away by passing cars. But if a motorcyclist happens to come along, grass on the roadway makes for very slippery, and sometimes deadly, conditions. My husband often rides his motorcycle to work and has had some close calls, almost losing control, when coming in contact with grass on the roadway.